For those of you that don’t already know..........every single snap on this website is taken from one place -

our garden in Above Town, Dartmouth, Devon, England

Tuesday 26th September 2023 - 1.30pm

     How do you move a galleon ?

Well it turns out that in the 21st century you use a lot of horsepower and some serious teamwork.

How they did it hundreds of years ago is another matter

TVFTDO is a unique record of life in, on, around and above the wonderful river Dart.

See all of last years albums here.

You can also take a look at The Pick of TVFTDO.

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Well done for getting this far. You now have a choice. Continue on below looking at the previous updates or heading inside to look at  ALL the August photos. For every one here on the front page there are ten more inside.  July pix here.

04 September 2023 - 17:00:17

Check this out on the web - it's the Navy's experimental vessel the XV Patrick Blackett.

42 metres long, powered by four Caterpillar diesel engines and kitted out with up to the minute technology.

It's the Navy's test bed for all new futurist stuff that's coming out of development.

04 September 2023 - 17:00:31

With some low tech too ! Wheelie bins are de rigeur aboard the Royal Navy's most advanced ship.

04 September 2023 - 20:56:36

What was I expecting, possibly flashy underwater lights ?

There's a reason why it's painted matt black.

Loads more pix of the XV Patrick Blackett inside. Click the pic.

01 September 2023 - 15:13:54

Another St Petrox wedding and boat departure. This time to the reception at the Royal Dart Yacht Club.

On their way in the immaculate launch with a whizzy name - Tiggy Whee.

01 September 2023 - 15:26:10

And on arrival at the RDYC pontoon. Where anyone who knows the steps leading up to the club can tell you those shoes are not best suited for purpose.

01 September 2023 - 18:18:01

Saw this little boat on the visitor pontoon and wondered if there might be anyone sleeping with intent.

In the morning at least two appeared.

02 September 2023 - 17:33:45

A cruise ship passing the end of the river. But not on a normal cruise. This is Vista and it's on it's way from Southampton to New York. Via France, Ireland, Canada and  the Miquelon Islands (look 'em up). It's an 18 night voyage.  The slow boat.

02 September 2023 - 16:42:16

A special loco visit at the weekend - this time from Royal Scot. Built in 1930 it is well travelled having toured in the USA and Canada.

But the poor loco spent much of the seventies as a static display at Butlins in Skegness.

As you can see, now fully restored.

02 September 2023 - 14:22:32

There was alot of noise coming from two large birds way up above Dyers Wood. I thought they were birds of prey until finally this photo and a bird identiofication app decided it was a crow. Darn big crow though.

04 September 2023 - 12:19:38

Do all farmers get called Clarkson nowadays.

He has done a lot for their cause.

02 September 2023 - 17:42:35

The river Dart's very own wonderful paddle steamer Kingswear Castle is out and about a lot this season.

This is the start of an evening cruise aboard the classic craft.

30 August 2023 - 09:44:39

Meanwhile, some way offshore, passing the end of the river Dart on its way from

Scotland to the river Thames is the only surviving sea going steamer, the PS Waverley.

23 September 2023 - 20:22:30

It's a replica of a ship that could have fought in the Spanish Armada. Launched in 2009 it's a pretty big tub, over 40 metres long.

The two front facing spotlights didn't help with taking a night shot, but an impressive craft none the less.

24 September 2023 - 11:26:39

And in daylight hours there's a threatening element to the front end.

24 September 2023 - 11:25:24

Imagine this bearing down on you in the midst of a sea battle.

We would all be a trembling.

Tours around the El Galeon Andalucia in Dartmouth were £10 a time. Travelling as crew to France would set you back 250 euros.

24 September 2023 - 11:17:57

Competition Time. Previously I jokingly suggested that this is really a parabolic reflector to try and improve the mobile phone signal.

Clearly not so (well it's not parabolioc, is it?)

Well it's getting bigger so perhaps it could instead be an observatory. Or a gun emplacement ?

Or.....?

25 September 2023 - 12:39:49

Missed the arrival of El Galeon Andalucia on Friday, but clearly the crew are here preparing for a departure on Tuesday under sail.

Well, we can dream, can't we?

25 September 2023 - 10:24:51

Look again. What's wrong here?

25 September 2023 - 08:12:45

Wildlife guide Mike Langman has been running occasional Osprey and other wildlife spotting trips aboard the African Queen for the last few months. Today's trip went upriver after first checking out the seals on the Kingswear pontoon (below). There was some serious camera gear aboard in the hands of the passengers. Apparently they got to see two ospreys fishing for almost two hours. Along with four kingfishers and plenty more.

25 September 2023 - 07:41:24

Not really in their natural habitat.

Still fun to have them around.

05 September 2023 - 08:51:21

Just before we went off on holiday this Royal Navy experimental craft came in.

Seen here leaving the town jetty.  Sideways.

05 September 2023 - 08:54:34

And as the Navy's most technologically advanced craft, it was still carrying its wheelie bins

PREVIOUS UPDATES

26 September 2023 - 09:54:33

Replica Spanish Armada galleon, El Galeon Andalucia has completed its public opening days moored on the town jetty.

So this morning it was moved the hundred metres or so to a mainstream mooring.

How they did it all those years ago is a mystery to me having seen just quite how much horse power and teamwork it took today.

26 September 2023 - 09:47:57

At one point there were five Dart Harbour craft pushing the El Galeon Andalucia into position on the river Dart.

Loads more pix  of this inside the September album. Just click the pic.

26 September 2023 - 09:48:13

The galleon has its own engine (it's a replica remember) but with very limited manouvering ability.

ie, there was very little steering to be done.

26 September 2023 - 09:42:11

It was slow going but the combined horsepower of the Ribeye boats eventually did the trick.

26 September 2023 - 10:02:35

Almost there, even once the fore and aft lines were attached the pushing continued. Tide and wind seemed to be against an easy solution.